Michael Vick, Andre Johnson and Top 10 Fantasy Football Busts for 2011

Now that the fantasy football season is over in most leagues (please tell me why would you want to have your fantasy football title game in Week 17 when numerous players are either sitting or playing limited snaps?), it's time to unveil the Top 10 busts of the 2011 campaign. You know these culprits. These are the players that left you cursing at the TV, slamming your fist on your laptop in disgust after another feeble live scoring update was posted or just being at the end of another smack-talk diatribe from one of your fellow owners. Ah yes, you know these underachievers all too well by now.

So, without any further ado, may I present to you the list of the top 10 busts of the 2011 fantasy football season. Drum roll please...

No. 10: Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts

I know, I know. The four-time NFL MVP never played a down this season so how can he be considered a bust?

Easy.

The Colts signal-caller had an average draft position (ADP) of 6.10 in standard 12-team, 15-round points-per-reception (PPR) leagues, according to fantasyfootballcalculator.com. That's much lower than normal for him due to his ongoing neck injury.

Fantasy owners who drafted him were obviously holding out hope that the 35-year-old future Hall of Fame quarterback would return early in the season to justify their mid-round pick. They gambled and lost. Quite often, solid mid-round selections are the key components to a fantasy league title and Manning owners ended up simply throwing this valuable draft pick away.

No. 9: Jahvid Best, Detroit Lions

This was supposed to be the year. The year the University of California-product was to take firm hold on the number one running back slot on a rejuvenated Lions squad.

Kevin Smith ran out of chances. The year 2011 was destined to showcase the best of Best. Sadly, it never happened.

A concussion ended Best's season early. He was placed on Injured-Reserve on Nov. 25 and the final stats were not pretty. Only six games played and three total touchdowns scored (two rushing, one receiving) was certainly not worthy of his ADP of 3.10 per fantasyfootballcalculator.com. What adds insult to injury is that he can't participate in Detroit's first playoff game since 1999.

A tough season indeed.

No. 8: Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos

Moreno was another running back who was expected to take hold of the number one running back position for John Fox's team but he struggled right from the outset of the season. A putrid 22-yard effort in the season opener against Oakland was an omen of things to come for the Belford, NJ native.

Fantasy football drafts are all about value and Moreno did not even come close to his ADP of 4.11 per fantasyfootballcalculator.com. After a 779-yard rushing effort in 2010 that included eight total touchdowns, Moreno failed to find the end zone once this season and gained a meager 179 rushing yards before a torn right ACL placed him on Injured-Reserve on Nov. 15.

Not very much bang for your fantasy buck.

No. 7: Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts

It's been a lost season for Wayne and the Colts. How much do you think Wayne misses Peyton Manning this year? Let the numbers speak for themselves.

2010: 111 receptions, 1355 yards, six touchdowns

2011: (in 15 games) 67 receptions, 887 yards, four touchdowns

The ADP for Wayne was 3.06 according to fantasyfootballcalculator.com. I'm sure many Wayne owners drafted him this highly because they were expecting No. 18 to be behind center. Quite a difference when you have Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky tossing you the pigskin isn't it?

No. 6: Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers

The four-year veteran has failed to reach 1,000 yards rushing yet this season (just 890 with one game to go), hardly worthy of an ADP of 2.01 in a standard 12-team, PPR league, per fantasyfootballcalculator.com.

The former Illinois-product has shown glimpses of his old self—146 yards and a touchdown vs. Jacksonville and 116 yards and a TD against the Rams (everyone runs well on the Rams) but nothing compared to last season's stellar campaign when he compiled 1273 rushing yards and 13 scores.

Mendenhall is the heart and soul of the Steelers' ground attack and he's just never gotten on track. Those who surrendered a second-round pick on the Pittsburgh halfback are certainly regretting that choice now.

No. 5: Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns

The Madden curse has struck again! This time it has claimed the brawny Browns running back who had a breakthrough 2010 season.

This season has been nothing short of a disaster for the Arkansas product. Drafted on average at 3.02 per fantasyfootballcalculator.com, Hillis has managed just 557 rushing and 133 receiving yards with three total touchdowns in 2011. He's also missed six games due to injury.

It's a far cry indeed from his sensational 2010 season when he gained 1654 yards from scrimmage and visited the end zone 13 times. He also was a dynamic receiver with 61 receptions out of the backfield (huge in PPR leagues).

Any fantasy owner who thought the dreaded Madden curse would not strike again were sadly mistaken.

No. 4: Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs

It's tough to rank someone as a bust when he is lost for the season in just the second game but Charles cost his owners a first-round draft pick and those picks are like gold. It's just a crushing blow to lose your top draft pick so early in the season. It's a real downer.

When the Chiefs fleet-footed halfback went down for the year with a torn left ACL in Week 2 vs. the Lions, he had amassed just 92 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. It's not his fault that he got hurt but his ADP of 1.05 per fantasyfootballcalculator.com was certainly well earned after a sensational 2010 season when he rushed for 1467 yards and had 45 catches for another 468 yards. He also tallied eight touchdowns in all. His future looked so bright.

Here's hoping that Charles can recover from his ACL injury in fine fashion to continue to be one of the first running backs drafted in any fantasy league.

No. 3: Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles

In some fantasy circles, Vick was being discussed as a possible number one overall pick based on his superb 2010 campaign. During that season, the southpaw signal-caller had a quarterback rating of 100.2. He also tossed 21 touchdowns with just six interceptions.

In addition to that, Vick led all quarterbacks in rushing with 676 yards and nine touchdowns. No wonder his ADP in preseason drafts was 1.09, according to fantasyfootball.com.

What a disappointing season it has been though for Vick and the Eagles. When you decide to draft Vick, you have to realize he is not going to play the entire season. Write it down. He subjects himself to too much punishment with all his scrambling.

Sure enough, Vick has already missed three games and his numbers are down all across the board—an 82.9 quarterback rating with 15 TD passes and 13 interceptions. On top of that, he's rushed for just one touchdown this season. That's terrible value in return for a first-round draft pick.

No. 2: Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans

Chris Johnson's lengthy holdout this summer really seemed to affect his performance. For a player that was drafted at 1.03 on average per fantasyfootballcalculator.com, his return on that huge investment was nothing short of a Wall Street crash.

Aside from just four games this season when he looked like the lightning-fast running back that gained 2006 yards on the ground in his spectacular 2009 season, Johnson looked like a washed up veteran, not someone that's in the prime of his career at age 26. He wasn't hitting the holes with any authority and had 10 games of under 60 yards rushing. Amazingly bad. He's also scored just four touchdowns this season compared to a dozen last year.

All season long, Johnson owners were waiting for the old CJ2 to show that blazing speed on a consistent basis and never got it.

No. 1: Andre Johnson, Houston Texans

Although I believe Andre Johnson is deserving of being the No. 1 fantasy bust of the year, this one is personal. Very personal.

Johnson single-handedly crushed my hopes of winning my third straight league title when he went down like he was shot in the fourth game vs. Pittsburgh. He was my first-round pick in my PPR league and the foundation of my team. His numbers through three games were actually pretty good (316 yards receiving and two touchdowns). Not bad at all.

However, when you draft a player in the first round, you need him to be healthy throughout the season and the six games the Miami, FL native missed in the middle of the season simply ruined my title quest. I know it's not his fault that he got hurt but by the time he returned with 22 meager receiving yards against the Jaguars in week 12, you could stick the fork in my fantasy team because I was done. Cooked.

Bitter? You bet I am. I bet a lot of other AJ owners are as well.